Ironing board



$33. 26, 1932. w, sQETE 1,842,493

mourns BOARD Filed Feb. 21, 1930 A TTORNE Y.

Patented $59.11. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT) OFFICE WILLIAM F. SOETE, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO ARTHUR A. MUELLER, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA IRON ING BOARD Application filed February 21, 1930. a Serial No. 430,226.

m so connected with the collapsible parts that said holder is drawn under-the board to unobstructive position when the ironing device is folded up. All features and advantages of the device are hereinafter fully set forth,

15 reference being had to the accompanying enlarged view of approximately the upper drawings, in which- Fig. l is a top view of my improved collapsible ironing board.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 showing the device set up and ready for use.

Fig. 8 is a right hand end, or rear, elevation of Fig. 2 with the iron holder omitted. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the improved board partially collapsed and Fig. 5 is an half of Fig. 4 looking toward the latter from the right.

i 6 is a sectional view, in enlarged scale, as on line 66 in Fig. 1 showing mainly the mounting of the iron holder of my device.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, 7 is the ironing board proper comprising the usual. elongated board cut square at its rear end and preferably tapered toward its front end as shown.

it is a transverse block fixed to the inner side of the board in spaced relation to its rear edge, this member being a trunnion. block to receive at each end a lag-bolt 9 on which two sets of legs are pivoted and both arranged to swing on said pivots toward the board 7. Que set of legs which may best be designated the front support comprises two bars 101% and 10L fixed together in t -shape of which the smaller end part is adapted to rest on a floor 11 and their rear end parts pivoted. one each on said bolts 9, with the said leg in forward and downwardly inclined 'iosit ion. The other leg member is of approximately H-shape and normally depending from the same bolts 9 preferably in a vertical plane or inclined rearwardly as shown. This leg member comprises the vertical bars 12R and 12L and a cross bar or board 13 connecting their lower free ends.

When the board 7 is in horizontal plane, the front leg member projects forward and downward to the floor and the rear leg member extends approximately vertically to the floor, bothfrom the common pivots 9. To hold the board 7 horizontal an inclined brace lat is provided, extending longitudinally under the board and pivoted on a rigid bolt or rod 15 retained transversely in and between the front leg bars 1OR10L interme diate their ends. The forward end of this brace is movable into and out of engagement with an edge part of a transverse block 16 fixed to the under side of the main board near its tapered end (see Figs. 2 and i).

17 is another transverse blockon the under side of the main board intermediate blocks 16 and 8 mainly for preventing warping or distortion of the main board 7.

Obviously when the leg members are in the board holding position shown in Fig- 2 and brace 14 bears against block 16, any pressure exerted on board 7 while ironing is borne by the brace 14. I prefer to use the three point floor support shown; namely, the lower ends of the rear leg members 12R and 12L and the third point being forward centrallyrbelow the tapered end of the board, and the lower, ends of said bars 12R and 12L being spread out as shown it is obvious that -j.

the board 7 is braced rigidly in horizontal plane at a predetermined elevation and accordin to the proportions of the leg members. i ll the parts thus far described under the board arehinged in such a manner as to allow them to be folded up and laid against the said under side of the board, it being readily understood and already described that the leg members are foldable on the pivots 9. The brace 14 is also foldable by simply being released from contact with the cross clea't 16 and swung on its pivot 15 to a common plane with and between the front leg members 10R and 10L. The rear end of brace 14 may have a link connection with the upwardly, referring'to bar 14 and the links" 18 connected thereto. Said parts 14 and 18 remain in alinement as long as the brace. is in working position shown best in Figs. 2 and 3.

I will now describethe slidable iron holding member of my ironing board. Said mem ber may bea single board of T shape of which the stem is elongated longitudinally of the board 7 and under it and designated 22 in Figs. 1, 2 and 6 particularly. The outer end of said member is enlarged to form apreferably quadrangular area or head 22H. The stem part 22 is guided through a slit8S (see I F igs. 2 and in the trunnion block 8 and under the board are shown in full lines.

forward of this guided between two parallel rails or guide bars 23. Thehead 22Hmay have on its three outer sides a metal flange 22F directed upwardly and between said flanges on the top face of-said head I secure a sheet of asbestos 24 or other heat resisting material on which to set a fiat-iron (not shown) when the-said head projects beyond the rear end of board 7. 25 is a connecting rod, one end of which is pivotally connected at 26 to the front part of stem 22 and its other end'pivotally connected to a bolt 27 fixed transversely in the brace 14 intermediate its free end and its pivot 15. 28 is a tension coil spring with one end connected to said bolt 27 and its other end connected to an eye-bolt 29 or the like preferably fixed in the cross cleat and always in tension thereb'etween.

It will be understood that the head 22 is always exposed outwardly of the rearend of the ironing board 7 when the device is. set up (as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2). .A person doing ironing on the board 7 thus has a convenient iron holder at a level lower than where the ironing is done and theiron can be simply moved toward it and put down on the'asbestos surface with a minimum of effort. With ironing boards not thus pro.- vided the operator usually must set the iron on end either on the board proper or onsome nearby table 'or the like. v

In Fig. 1, 25 indicates a connecting ro corresponding to 25 but directed fro-m pivot 26 rearwardly and its latter end pivotally connected to a rear leg 12R or 12L in inclined position. In this instance, when the rear legs are folded up the connecting rod forces the member 22 forwardly and head 22H slides under the rear part of the board. The preferred means for sliding head 22H It is clear that when the front legs are folded in the-manner illustrated in Fig. 4; namely,

the set up device is tipped up until leg-frame 10R1OL only contacts with the floor, then brace 14 is released from contact with cleat 16 after which the board 7 and the rear leg frame 12R12L are folded toward each other or in otherwords, folded from their respective positions toward the leg-frame 1OL10R.

To set up the device, the leg member 10L10R is first allowed to contact with floor, as shown in Fig. 4, allowing entire weight of device to rest thereon, then the operator graspsboard 7 and tips the rear end of the board toward the floor, until the bottom ends of legs 12R12L touch the floor, then the board is tilted upwardly to horizontal plane, spring 28 meantime pulling brace 14 upwardly until its forward end engages the rear. edge part ofthe cleat 16.. The device is then completely set up and readyfor use as in Fig. 2.

I have now fully described the preferred constructionand the operations involved in setting up or collapsing the device. A number of modifications in details of construction andoperation other than those illustrated may be embodied without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention.

I claim: a

In a collapsible ironing device comprising an elongated board with a transverse rear edge, a trunnion block fixed transversely near said edge, two supporting leg members pivotally secured to said'block, one leg member longer than the other and arranged to extend in an inclined plane to support the board in spaced relation to a floor and the other leg arranged to extend down in about a vertical plane simultaneously; bracing means 'extending longitudinally under the board and connected to both said leg members, an iron holder slidably mounted to move longitudinally of and outwardlyrfrom the transverse edge of the board when the leg members are placed to support the board in spaced relation to theboard, link means connecting said iron holders with the upper part of said brace means near the forward, free end of the latter, said bracing means comprising a bar pivotally mounted on a trunnion lntermediate the ends of the longer leg member and extending in an inclined plane forwardly and upwardlyto releasably engage the under side of the board near its forward end, said iron holder comprising a shallow head member having an integral elongated stem slidably mounted longitudinally under the board, said link means to the brace pivotally connected to the forward end of said stem and extending to the brace as described to directly retract the head member to a position under the board when the leg and brace members are folded under the board.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

\VILLIAM F. SOETE. 

